Process and apparatus for analyzing cards



May 19, 1953 c. H. sTulvENBERG 2,638,842

PROCESS lAND APPARATUS FOR ANALYZING CARDS Filed Aug. 6, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 lwsron H TTONEKS May 19, 1953 c. H. STUIVENBERG 2,638,842

PROCESS AND APPARATUS RoR ANALYZING CARDS Filed Aug. 6, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 l LTI-Ma INVENTOR 'CORNELIS FNUF/C05 S TIIIVFNFIS H T TQRNFPS ay 19, 1953 c. H. sTulvENBERG PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ANALYZING CARDS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 6, 1947 2li lNvENron CORNELIS #funn/cus sTu/vEA/asea Ml? 19, 1953 c: H STUNENBERG 2,638,842,

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FQR ANALYZING QARDS Filed Aug` 6. 194? 5 Sheets-Smet 5 rsr INVEN Tol columns Nucleus naive/vases ATTORNEYS Patented May 19, 1953 smiEsl Pmi E-Nm oer-fica PROCESS'WNDHABFRATUS FOR AN ALYZING calms-i C'rnelsv Hendi'iusStuivenberg Haarlem,v

vThe invention`` relates 'tof a-v method. of anl apparatusffor' analyzing-'cards,V which xhamac-kiezen' lpioivided with` symbol'si frdenoting' certain values; e.l gfigures; charactersjsigns; for' controliin'gfma'w lzflavmsza (Cl. lill-9.3.1)

22 secutiveiy; wtiiout una interpciaftionf. ofi' svfrnbcisi off other fields?V 'Ine epracessfisrfcamfie'd outfldymeans 'o'fa device consistingoffa ydistriiit'or between" the reading? chinesg.especiallypunchedcard machinesf It'is'fy fi device'rand tief-analfzingdevice; which distribue known; in order" to increasetl'ie-capacitv'- of sucii cards; to apply-"a numler` off elds-offsymbol'sibelow each other on the cards, Inan'alyziiig'tliei cards 'these fields" arev` consecutively; readi on detected and'. analysed'J4 iny a' separate@ operatioifi;v Thus; the time requiredfori analysing thecardswith,A for example,` two fields eachi's'iaboutf twice* as long; asf that required for' reading4 asingleVV iield' According j to the invention1` a numberI of f ields;r of symbols or partsv osuch' fields; lying"behind'y each4 other with 'respect to* the; direction of move-1* ment of the" cards; area4 readA in" oneiand? the same operation during the movement of'thacards.- By tliismethod severall advantages of great impor-v tance" for the analysis ofthe cards" are^obtaned-2 The capacity of the machines'is'increased-ap preciably. The" contents-ofthe ifelds or parts thereof.V may be analysed," simultaneously: In' the case. of card sortingr machines; forJ example; cards with Agiven symbols' distribute d" over several' fields maybe.; sorted in a'single operation. Ilie` same advantage is obtaiiie'dn `the case'of cardfeedin'g" and ydelivery devices; .bymeansof which* out of'a andthe cards are collated" and' directed? differ:- entl'y, in accordance vwtiith'e result ofisuch collaL tion.. In tle case of,.listprinting"machinestiie" additional 'advantage' is'olztainedthat" datawi'iicifr havebeen printedon'the cards'n the'samecolumns, but in dierent elds, may' printed" simultaneouslyz side4 loyr side.. v

The process accordingv to` the' invention isof" speciall advantage wlien for denoting the values"y combinations ofsymbolsi'n a number ofpo'siti'ons, are used'. If," for example, six'positionsare'use'd,' there .are idiflerent, possibilitiesfor the symbol@ which` suilica forv al1y gurea. characters and numerous symbols.,

In another embodimentfoffth-e processthe positiensiot the different'. fields. overlap each. other, inasuch a'manner that: inthe. direction.` of movement"l of 2 the cards` consecutive. symbols' belong-. to i different iellda` Th'usthercapacityg ofi tl'ie-xnaf-f chiites is .increased'sconsiderably, sincez'n.ftl'iezrsi'il inactive? sections aree'. avoided'f and furth'erl the-symbols belonginatoxthefsame eidarefspacetl moreiliberallyvt'han (inlthexcase) l whenthe synff-*f boisoith'e image-or .signallrifavediceniapplied con..j

the*apparatusiaccordngto'tiie invention arettus1 not 'A attained.

Inftheldrawing fte apparaten accordingto tHe'- invention is illii'statedf" Fig: 1` illstratessa l'nccvvn"v punched card` con-- taining" onlyA one* fieliiirv Fig. 2' illustratesI a" card for carrying out: the processA according; to t'l'e invention;A which Cardi' l containsfdata pertainingtothe saine transaction in theI shape of symbols' in'two f 'elds.:

Figi 3` illustratesl a card containing' dataV per-- tainingM teiV the' sametransaction inv three'y elds; whiclileld'saref placed behindeacn other in tli direction ofrfi(Jverrrent'v of ther cards:

457- Fig.' 4r illustrates acard' containing" datapertainingtoY tliesaxnetiansacton' in" three' iields; these" fields" loeinig` divided-into" stripsA in such a' manneftl'ia't' stri'p'sdsucceedingeacii otherI in tlie' direction of movement-f ofthe' cards:4 loel-ngl` to params, the saidftypef' Harbeiiigequipliedwith for printing data from anyone field of a card provided with three fields divided into strips.

Fig. 7 illustrates a retarding device of different construction. l

Fig. 8 is a cross-section through the retarding device of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 illustrates a diagram of connections for.

an analyzing machine, provided with retarding devices according to Figs. 7 and 8.

The punched card illustrated in Fig. l is used for applying the counting point positionsin the usual manner. The number of figure values that can be punched on the card is limited by the number of columns for perforations. If this number of columns is not sufiicient to place all the symbols referring to a single card, up to the present it was necessary to provide so-called supplementary cards with perforations, these cards then pertaining to a given transaction 'in combination with the main card. However, the suphatched circles and those of the third field by plementary cards could not be fully utilized, be-

cause certain data, such as numbers of groups and the like, had to be punched on them as they had been on the main card, so as to denote the fact that the two cards belonged together. Owing to the punching of these data on the supplementary card as well, a certain number of perforation columns could not be used for the punching of additional data.

The card illustrated in Fig. 2 has been provided with two fields for taking up symbols referring to the same transaction. The elds are divided into strips in such a way that strips succeeding each other in the direction of movement of the card belong Ato different elds, i. e. each strip contains a symbol position, so that in the direction of movement of the card the first symbol position of the first eld is followed by the first symbol positionv of the second field, etc. Since the strips of the two fields succeeding each other in the direction of movement of the card are read `and analysed in the same operation during the movement of the card, according to the invention, all the columns of the two fields can be utilized for placing symbols referring to the same transaction, while numbers of groupsand similar data need be rplaced only once. Thus, the card according to Fig. 2 in the first place lpresents the advantage over the use of a main and a supplementary card that all data referring to the same transaction can be analyzed in one operation,

whereas otherwise the main card and the supple- As compared with the card illustrated in Fig. 1,

such a card is capable of taking up three times the number of symbols.v A large number of symbols referring to the same transaction can thus be placed on this card. Since according to the process of the invention the fields of the card are read and analysed in one operation, this card, as compared with the use of a main card with a number of supplementary cards, presents the advantage of a substantially increased capacity, because instead of a number of operations for analyzing the main and supplementary cards only one single operation is required.

The punched card illustrated in Fig. 4 contains simple circles.

The apparatus for carrying out the process according to the invention, as illustrated in Fig. 5, mainly consists of the reading device A, the analyzing device B and a distributor C, which latter transfers the movements or power, brought about by the symbols of the punched cards read, to the analyzing devices belonging to the various fields.

'Ihe reading device A consists of a metal roller I, connected via a brush 2 with one pole of a current source 3, and further of reading brushes 4. The number of brushes corresponds with the number of columns of the various elds of the card 5 to be read. In the figure only one reading brush 4 has been illustrated, while it is only denoted by other conductors that there are a larger number of brushes.

In the apparatus illustrated the analyzing device B consists of three parts, keach controlled in accordance with one of the three fields the card contains. Since widely varying devices may be used as analyzing devices, e. g. printing apparatuses or calculating mechanisms, only three magnets for controlling the appertaining devices have been illustrated in the drawing, the bottom magnet 6 belonging to the first field, the middle magnet I to the second field and the top magnet 8 to the third field of the card.

The distributor C` consists of a rotating contact brush 9, connected conductively to the second pole of the current source 3 by means of a slip ring Il) and a fixed brush II. The rotating contact brush 9 rotates ata rate corresponding to the rate of. movement of the cards, one revolution of the contact brush 9 corresponding to the distance between the face of one card and that of the preceding card. The brush 9 slides along a contact strip I2 having eighteen contacts, each of which corresponds to a strip of the field of the punched card to be read. The contacts belonging to the strips of a. field are interconnected conductively. Thus, viewed in the direction of rotation of the rotating brush 9, the first contact ris connected to the fourth, seventh, tenth, thirteenth and sixteenth. The second contact is connected to the fifth, eighth, eleventh, fourteenth and seventeenth andthe third contact to the sixth, ninth, twelfth, fifteenth and eighteenth. From the interconnected groups of contacts of the contact strip I2, conductors pass to the appertaining magnets of the analyzing device B.

The parts of the analyzing device B which belong to the various fields of the card 5 naturally rhave a number of magnets 6, 1, 8. In order to indicate the manner in which the other magnets are connected, the connections of two other magnets respectively have been indicated in Fig. 5' by dotted lines; besides the conductor I3 connecting the one reading brush 4 to the ends of the coil of the magnets 6, 1, 8, two other conductors |3a and I3b have been sketched, which start from other reading brushes 4 and are connected to the ends of the coil of the other magnets 6, l, k8, In accordance with this. two branches moss/,sass

6 texzvaljbetweemtlie^attraotiomandtherreleaserofr the?. armatures:whicti warrantszan reliable? onere*w ation: offthelvmagnetstorz-,L-whiclr amountsfto-i the samesthing-thei.'readingrcambe :done'at vas. veryf neticircontrol refusing;-toperatefz- The apparatus :fforc multiple:perfforationsf.`1 with? six'fisymbolcpositions's iltustratedingmm 5;canzf--; naturailyfalsorbe usedlforzranaiyzingcicards fvprot mechanismi. Oni'the conti'ary;,the maenetsft 1;,.105 viddiwitk .single'fperfotaltionsga thesymbolf 8 have to actuate suitable transmission'gearsgby; which-'tina turn-fthe; printing;apparatusfonutheecal culatingrmechani-sm isfy controlled?. Suche:transf-E mission 'vgea-rs; are:knowna'y and@ serve :to converti;

tionslfo wl'richwhaverbcerriplacedn ffl'eldsf-.dividedi intoistripszraccordingto lille/5,2?.orrhb Imsucln ae,

case, if a card containing three lieldsndivide'vzilintoizy stripsmererto be analysed, .a distrib'utorf-Gwould" tiple perf orations;^ into ,fsinglefeleetricatiimpiilses;7 by-fvv'hich,`A incturn theyn malyzing?` device; e: as printinggzga pparatusior f 'controllingg .mechanismfds F controlled:

would have-:1- tof containf-` thirty contacts instead?. off: the: eighteenz-s illust/rated: irri: 5i Of Whichi contacts -,the:-.-1zst would; againv have? tofbe' conzneetedctozthe'iourthyseventh; ete.; Florathe-.'an'aly-n Thapparatusiillustra tefteinwFlig: 5 ismneratedizsistof suchfaicard; nmsenarate transmissionfwgearss as@ follows: When inf the'-=read=lng deV-icef Afl the` frstwstripfofthe first-.field Mathe-Cardi is, feat.. under fthe? readinggfbrusli 5.4 .the contactebmsh 8s is exactly on theclirstcontacttofsthe!Contact-estripc` fon; converting. the@ multiloglefz!y electrical; impulses\ intoxsinglimpuises -would be required; onftlie-*f contratlsy;` the analyzing; devices'. oi l an analyzing; apparatusecouldb e :controlled-ducatibwth elec:-

ILbelOngingf-tcf the stripw-f'ithef'eld. Whene-in 253trica1 impulses :broughtabout:bytheifreadnggdeathe-sfirstfstrip; of th'el'irstfeld;L perforations are; read? byr-'the brushesdp, the latterI bring; about: contact: With-@the metal rol-ler.W I .fin-:ther respective p1aoes,\,soffthat the :circuit K-isfclosedsviatthetinag vice. f

fmtype- `bar '.oflaffprintingpparatus:hase beemill'ustnatedlzast-arr example.t oi such aneanam lyzing; device-r` The; adjustment of ,theftypesbarf newer the magnelsv The magnetse belonging,-Aam,canibencontrolled atJ ,wililv.-by-,ftheerst;i seconds orf toethefrstf columns [,offthefirst .cld-rot, the cerdo` 5 anethus-energized andbring. about l,the respec.. tivercontrob operationsre` When-ethe card Sais moved on.; the first-strip-` is denoted by; 2401., 2 I.- arewthefftynesfoff.; tlfxejftype,n bar; whichl 1 may be: strnck, against.- the.y printingq roller; 23e byfa. printing; hammers; 22` when;y shew of ther secondeeldfLofivk the` card;` is,.ied .-under.. the.'l 35yhavecbeen placed in the .printingmpstioneby thee readingbrush: 4., Atthe sementi-melthecontact. brush ..9 of;- the'. distributor', C. reaches the: secondi' contactaoffthe `contact strip-I 2,. .belongingto the, firs-t stripf otthef` second aeldfso` .that .nowone....or;

rations, in the; str-ip;reacl,.are` brought -.abo`ut.,via themagnets ,1.7. 'Themagnets,l 'I belonging tothe:

columns..- whereAv perforation-haver been .madekinl thefrst str-inet ,at secondmeldthus. attractctheir armaturesrand` bringfabout, thefrespective control.; operations...

The firstystripmof. E thesthird `,eld,.isfd,lunder. thesreading, brush .L ,t1-le:` contacttbrushl!) "simuL- taneously sliding onthe. .thindontact lotthejcontact stripy .I 2 of ethe.- distrbutonC.. New.l tlie mage nets. 8; belonging tto tlmA third-.elduof.' @the card;v are.- connected' to the. currentLsource 3`.. Via;y the distributor C, ,so that .the magnets.. 8, vwhich .be :flong` Yto 4columnsin which. Ythe readingbi'ushes fa1l`on perforations,. vtake .up current''and"bring about the' respectivey contro'operation's:

lIn'olie-same 'W'ay1'th'e magnetsf'f 7;' 8"e;re conL nectedy correctly tothe current sourcea'jby*theY distributor C whenl the" second* and ytliii'd. istripsrespectively of 'the` variousf elds' passundr ltl'i'eL brush, themagnetor'magnetsl 6'? Tf 8' respectively" belonging to therespective strip'thustaking Vup current. Th'eapparatus illustrated' tkiuslmakestl' possible' to"rea^` andtanalysein-one `anditlfie' operationI the three fields 'of symbols lyinglbehind eachother-in the directionxoffmovement ofithevi card-during 'the' said'movenfrent;A of the'l card? In" additionythev apparatus raccordingto Fig; 5113113 sents"^theadvantage' that owing tolthe divisionN intorstrips` of the various 'elds'the' distancebe-r tween the; various strips belonging toy the same 1 field is relatvel5`/'1arge,..so thattlfe'i dst'ancebe.- tween the ,various .elctrical'impulses conducted; to thesame. magnets, is correspondinglfM large.

Consequently". there is aacomparatively, longA I'1-. -75fslide43 'with teethlthasbeen providedf-,whichbetween two levers 21. The levers 21 areffcon-w trolleddn- :thefknown manner; sovthat (the rod 2li` linesein ,the :firsts part :ofty eachioperationrofatlnc;A

45 machine; thestypeabaror-.thetypebasfthusebeing released.- for ar givenmpwercl-.emmrement.-l

Atlthefv bottom ,the type bary 20 -fn-rtherfhasxaaf rowsot .f teeth. 28; with. whichn atA pawlA 29 .canlcof operateK Thepawlf-:Ze mayfbe released instheu; known:,Irianner-.vby,` thefliooltfsliaped]iafrmature.` 30s of a magnet-,3.1, so; that by1 the n-uence an, springt, 32 the. pawl l reacheslits?locking-g positions movement vof the slide .33,-swithfrespect ttothef=type...bar 20v, Thoydistancee off.the.alznutmentA 3 'I f fromm theebottomtof., theslide 33'fc0rrespondsir to one tisilrdn of the-pitchtoiithefteeth 34e-andi. Z-Ilf.` respectively Asspifing, 38p Whicii-fisf-veryfweaku 33 up into.. the. highest positionf, illustrated Figure 6With,-respect to...theftype :bany 210; whichv position..v is determinedn by, given.:` dimensonss of: theooblong holes.,.35l. The pawl 39,1,which,may `bereleasedby..anarmaturefd Dtofsa magnet'nd I .and-rr is inuencedmy, alspringi, 42",` cof-Operates WithN theteeth 31k.-v

At .ltlefunner part of^ theftype.: ,lo/arf, 2 Ill-another;

means of abutment screws 36 screwed into the type bar 29 -and engaging oblong holes 46 and is pulled into its topmost normal position by a spring 48. 41 is an abutment of the type bar 20 limiting the downward movement of the slide 43, which in this case'has been provided at a distance of 2/3 of the pitch with respect to the bottom of the slide 43. Here, too, a pawl 49 has been provided for co-operation with the teeth 44 of the slide 43, which pawl can be releasedby an armature 50 ofv a magnet 5| and isiniiuencecl by a spring 52. Y

In order to enable a typebar to be adjusted at will to control by the field I, 2 or 3, the magnets`3l', 4l, 5| are connected to plugs 3|a, 4|a, |a. vBy bringing about a given plug connection the end of the coil of one of the magnets 3|', 4|, 5|y may be connected to the conductor I3, which corresponds to the conductor passing to the reading brush 4 in Fig. 5. The free coil ends of the magnets 3|, 4|, 5| are connected to conductorsv I4, 5, I6 passing to the distributor, which conductors correspond to the conductors with the same reference numbers in Fig. 5.

If a printing apparatus is to be adjusted in accordance with the symbols in the three fields of a card, the number of type bars according to Fig. 6 to be provided Will have to be in accordance with the requirements for printing the data corresponding to the symbols. Those of the type bars which are to print the data of the first iield are connected in a given manner byl bringing about the plug connections 5|a. With the type bars which are to print the data of the second field, plug connections'4la yare brought about and with the type bars which are to` print' data of the third field, the plug connections 3|a are brought about. Thus, with each type b ar only one magnet 3|, 4| or 5| is operating.

It is rst assumed that the particular type bar has been adjusted to an analysis of theV r'st eld of the card by 'a connection via the plug '.l'al `It is further assumed that in the respective column in the first field of the card the digit' 5 has been punched, so that a perforation is 'present in the stripl of the'rst eld belonging to' the 5 position. When, while the card passes under'the respective reading brush, the circuit for themagnet 5| is closed, the pawl 49 is released by the attraction of the armature 50, so that the said pawl drops into the teeth 44 of the slide 43 under the iniiuence of the spring 52. Before the pawl 49 is disengaged, the type bar 20, and accordingly the slide 43, which is kept in lits top position with respect to the type bar by the spring 48, has moved so far that the opening of the teeth 43 belonging to the digit 5 is opposite the pawl 49. When, therefore, the pawl 49 drops into the opening, it gears into the opening belonging to the digit 5 and checks the slide 43, so that it can no longer take part in any further upward movement of the type bar 20. ing to 2/3 of the pitch the abutment 4l engages the bottom of the slide 43 and thus prevents the further upward movement of the type bar. When the type bar is soI adjusted, the type 2| bearing the digit 5 is in the Writing position. The printing of the figure is effected in the known manner by releasing the printing hammer 22.v During the second part of the operation of the vmachine the levers 21 carrying the rod 26 are moved down again; they thus press After having covered a distance correspond- 8 back the type bar into its position of rest. At the same time the slide 43 slides back into its top position under influence of the spring 48, after which it is taken along by the type bar A2|) in the downward movement. During this movement the pawl 49 glides along the' various teeth 44 until, when the type bar reaches its position of rest, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the said pawl is pressed back so far by a projection at the top of the slide 43 that it is locked again by the hooked armature 50.

If' the type bar illustrated is to print data of the Vsecond field of the card, the plug connection 5|a has to be broken, while a plug connection 4|a has to be brought about instead. The pawl 39 is controlled in the same manner as described above for the pawl 49. By the dropping of the pawl 39 into the teeth any further upward movement of the slide 33 together with the type bar 20 is prevented. When a distance corresponding to one third of the pitch has been covered, the abutment 31 comes to rest against the bottom of the slide 33, so that the type bar 20 cannot move further upward either.

Since the electric impulse, by which the release of the pawl 39 was attained, was brought about as much; later as corresponds to the distance covered bythe type bar corresponding to one third of the pitch of the slide 33, upon the magnet 4| coming into operation the type bar 20 was already in a position which is higher by one third of the pitch than in the case described above with reference to the operation of the magnet 5|. When, after the pawl 49 has dropped, the type bar has previously covered 2/3 of the pitch, in orderto place the type 2| with the digit 5 in the writing position, upon the magnet 4|`which afterwards takes up current in a given manner-coming into operation the type bar may only cover a distance corresponding to one third of the pitch in order that the type 2| lmay accurately reach the writing position. In the case of the type bar illustrated this requrement is metv by means of the slides 33, 43 operating with a delay of varying degrees.

When the type bar is to print data of a third iield of the card, plug connections 3|a have to be brought about in order to close the circuit for the magnet 3|. Upon the magnet 3l coming into operation the pawl 29 drops into the teeth 28 of the type bar 20 and at once, i. e. without delay, prevents any further upward movement thereof. Since the electrical impulse by which the magnet 3| was energized was brought about as much later as corresponds to 2A; of the pitch of the type bar, during the dropping of the pawl 29 the type bar 2D was already in a correspondingly higher position, so that, owing to the type bar 20 being checked at once, the type 2| has been placed accurately into the writing position again.

As appears from the above, with a printing mechanism equipped With type bars according to Fig. 6 it may be decided at will by which fields of the card'the various type bars are to be controlled. It is naturallyl also possible to analyse not all data of each field, but only certain sections of the field. Thus, with a printing apparatus with type bars, the first 40 type bars may be connected to any of the columns of a eld, while 40 more type bars are placed on another eld and the remaining 40 on the third iield. By bringing about certain plug connections it is also possible to make any desired changes in the yorder of the datato be printed in the printing line. Further it is possible to punch the digits 11 transfer digits punched in different fields to counting wheels of a counter placed side by side.

In the retarding device illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, as well as in the retarding devices I and II of Fig. 9, the delays have -been so chosen that a card with three striplike fields can be analyzed. It stands to reason that the analyzing apparatus illustrated in Fig. 9 can also be so constructed that cards with tw'o striplike fields can be analyzed. In such -a case the magnet 16 and the retarding device I would be eliminated. The switch 61a, 68a (vide Fig. 7) would have to be so arranged as to be closed with a delay corresponding to half the distance of the strips.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for analyzing the symbols of a symbol carrier such as a record card having a plurality of fields of symbol places in one and the same column, with va symbol place of one field directly followed :by a symbol place of another field, the combination of sensing means operable to sense a symbol place of each field of one and the same column prior to sensing -another symbol place of each said last mentioned fields, analyzing means including means respectively pertaining to said elds for analyzing the sensed symbols on said symbol places, distributing means interposed vbetween said sensing means and said analyzing means for individually conveying and distributing the symbols sensed by said sensing means to said analyzing means in accordance with the field to which said symbols belong, and switch means associated with said distributing means and rotating in accordance with the movement of said symbol carrier by said sensing means, said switch means being adapted to establish communication between said distributing means and said analyzing means for yeach field of symbols.

2. In an apparatus for analyzing the symbols of a symbol carrier such as a record card having a plurality of fields of symbol places in one and the same column, the combination of sensing means operable successively to sense the symbol places of the fields of one and the same column so that during one and the same passage of said carrier in longitudinal direction of said column the first symbol place of each field is sensed before the next symbol place is sensed, analyzing means including printing means for analyzing and printing the sensed symbols, said printing means including at least one reciprocable type bar carrying a plurality of types corresponding to symbols of different fields of the same column, distributing means interposed between said sensing means and said analyzing means and operatively associated therewith for individually distributing and conveying signals or impulses corresponding to the sensed symbols on said symbol places to said analyzing means, a plurality of control means, each type bar being provided with as many control means as there are symbol fields in a column of symbols, and lost motion means interposed between said controlling means and each type bar for causing a predetermined time lag in the operation of the printing types corresponding to the sensed symbols of the different fields of the same column.

3. In an apparatus for analyzing the symbols of a symbol carrier such as a record card having a plurality of fields of symbol places in one and the same column, with a symbol place of one field directly followed by a symbol place of another fleld, the combination of sensing means arranged to sense successively the symbol places of an entire column in the sequence in which they appear in saidv column, analyzing means including printing means for analyzing and printing the symbols of the-sensed symbol places, said printing means. including at least one reciprocable type bar carrying a plurality of types corresponding to the number of symbol places in the different fields of symbol places pertainingto one and the same icolumn, adjusting means, connecting means operatively connecting said adjusting means with said type carriers, said adjusting means having a lost motionconnection with the said carriers of such magnitude that a delay is caused in vthe Atransmission of the adjusting controls equal to the shift of time in the control to which the field last sensed in the column is subject. y

4. In an apparatus for analyzing the symbols of a symbol carrier such as a record card having a plurality of shifted fields of symbol places in one and the samecolumn, with a symbol place of one field immediately followed by a symbol pla-ce of another field, except for the last symbol place of the column, the combination oi a single sensing means operable to sense successively the symbols of the fields of one and the same column during one and the same movement of said carrier, and distributing means movable in unison with said carrier and operatively connected with said sensing means for separating and separately translating the individually sensed symbols on said symbol places into perceivable indications of said symbols.

5. In an apparat-us for analyzing the symbols of a symbol carrier such as a record card having a plurality of successive nelds of symbol places in one and the same column, with a symbol place of one field immediately followed by a symbol place of another field, except for the last symbol place of the column, the combination of sensing means operable during one and the same movement to sense successively one symbol place of each of the elds of 4one and the same column prior to sensing another symbol place of each of said last-mentioned fields, analyzing means including means respectively pertaining to said fields for analyzing the sensed symbols, distributing means interposed between and operatively associated with said sensing. means and said analyzing means for individually translating and transferring the sensed symbols to said analyzing means, said distributing means being driven in synchronism with the relative movement of the carrier and sensing means.

6. In an apparatus for analyzing the symbols cf a symbol carrier such as a record card having a plurality of fields of symbol places in one and the same column, the combination of sensing means operable to sense a symbol place of each field of one and the same column prior to sensing another symbol place of each of said last-mentioned fields, analyzing means Vincluding means pertaining to the various fields for analyzing the sensed symbols of said symbol places, distributing means for receiving signals or impulses from said sensing vmeans and for separating and conveying the same to said analyzing'mea'ns, and retarding means interposed between said dstributing means and said analyzing means for retarding'the transfer of signals orv impulses from said distributing means to said analyzing means so that theanalyzing means are put into operation simultaneously for all fields of each column.

7 In an apparatus for analyzing the symbols of a simboleggia was greg@ ard having a plurality of iields of symbol places in one and the same column, with each symbol place of one field followed by a symbol place of another field with the ex-ception of the very last symbol place of each column, the ycombination of sensing means operable successively to sense the symbol places of the fields of one and the same column so that during one and the same passage of said carrier in the longitudinal direction of said column, the first symbol place of each field is sensed before the next symbol place of each field is sensed, analyzing means including printing means for analyzing and printing the sensed symbols, said printing means including at least one reciprocable type bar -carrying a plurality of types corresponding to symbols of different fields of the same column, distributing means interposed between said sensing means and said analyzing means for individually distributing and conveying signals or impulses corresponding to the sensed symbols to said analyzing means, and oon-- trolling means operable to control the movement of the analyzing means so as to cause a predetermined time lag in the operation of the printing types "corresponding to the sensed symbols of the different fields of the same column, said controlling means having first means sensitive to an impulse from said distributing means, and time delay means controlled by said first means for initiating an impulse for controlling said printing means.

8. In an apparatus for sensing the symbols of a symbol carrier such as a card having a plurality of columns and each column comprising a plurality of fields of symbol places with each symbol place of one eld immediately followed by a symbol place of another field, except for the last symbol place of each column, unitary sensing means for traversing each column operable to sense all of the symbol places of the associated column in succession during one and the same movement of the carrier, a circuit in which the sensing means is operatively connected for conducting sensing impulses from the said sensing means, a translating means in said circuit means pertainingto each field operable by the sensing impulses, and distributing means in said circuit means in series with said translating means for separating and directing the sensing impulses to said translating means, said distributing means comprising a movable element connected for movement in timed relation to the relative movement of said sensing means and said carrier.

9. In an apparatus for sensing the symbols of a symbol carrier such as a card having at least one column of symbol places comprising at least two shifted fields with the symbol place of one field being immediately followed by the symbol place of another field, except for the last symbol place of the column, a unitary means for traversing the column operable to sense all of the symbol places in succession during one and the same movement of the carrier, a translating device for each said field, and a distributor in circuit with said sensing means movable in synchronism with said carrier operable to place the sensing means in circuit with the translating devices in succession and repetitively and at the instants that the sensing means is sensing the symbol places of the respective fields pertaining tothe translating devices.

10. In an apparatus for sensing the symbols of a symbol carrier such as a card having at least one column of symbol places comprising at least two shifted fields with the symbol place of one field being immediately followed by the symbol place of another eld, except for the last symbol place of the column, a unitary means for traversing the column operable to sense all of the symbol places in succession during one and the same movement of the carrier and to create an electrical impulse whenever a symbol is sensed. a rotary contact in circuit with said sensing means, a bank of fixed contacts arranged to be swept by said rotary contact at the same rate that the said sensing means traverses said symbol places, and said fixed contacts being connected in groups according to the same pattern as the shifted fields of symbol places in the column.

11. In an apparatus for sensing symbol places arranged in a column on a carrier, the said symbol places being arranged in shifted fields, a distributor having a movable member adapted for connection with a unitary sensing means operable to sense all of the symbol places in the column in succession during one and the same movement of the carrier, said distributor also comprising a plurality of elements positioned for successive engagement by said movable member during movement thereof and at the same rate as said sensing means senses said symbol places, and said elements being adapted for connection in groups in the same pattern as the shifted fields of symbol places in the column so that there is a group of elements pertaining to each field of symbol places, whereby the sensing means is always connected with one of the group of elements pertaining to the field of the symbol place being sensed by the said sensing means.

12. In an apparatus for analyzing the symbols of a symbol carrier such as a record card having several groups of symbol places with the symbol place pertaining to one group directly followed in each column by a symbol place pertaining to the group next in cyclic order, the combination of sensing means operable to sense a symbol place of each group of one and the same column prior to sensing another symbol place of each of said last mentioned groups, analyzing means including means respectively pertaining to said groups for analyzing the sensed symbols on said symbol places, distributing means interposed between said sensing means and said analyzing means for individually conveying and distributing impulses issued from said sensing means and representing said symbols to said analyzing means in accordance with the group to which said symbols belong, and switch means associated with said distributing means and adapted to establish communication between said distribution means and said analyzing means for each field of symbol.

CORNELIS HENDRICUS STUIVENBERG.

References Cited in the file 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,623,164 Carroll Apr. 5, 1927 1,769,022 Goerlitz July 1, 1930 2,053,063 Bryce Sept. 1, 1936 2,120,071 Keefe June 7, 1938 2,195,865 Lang Apr. 2, 1940 

